Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. and grease a large baking sheet.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and wheat germ. Blend in shortening with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk or yogurt and yolk and stir into flour mixture, stirring until mixture just forms a moist dough.

Knead dough 4 times on a floured surface and with a floured rolling pin roll out into a 12-inch square. Cut dough into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips and roll a strip around middle of a frankfurter until dough just overlaps. Cut pig-in-blanket free from strip and make 19 more pigs-in-blankets in same manner, arranging them, seam sides down, as they are made on prepared baking sheet. Pigs-in-blankets may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Bake pigs-in-blankets in upper third of oven until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Makes 20 pigs-in-blankets.